research article
Exploring the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Libyan Community Pharmacists in Relation to Vitamin Supplements in Tripoli/Libya: A Cross-Sectional Study
Nabila Ali Rghebi, Rima Farag Elmzughi, Reham Abubaker Alrgaei, Malak Amar Belal
Vitamins are essential for many bodily functions and must be obtained through food or supplements. Community pharmacists play an active role in educating patients about vitamins and supplements, guiding their safe use, and helping avoid potential drug-vitamin interactions. This study employed a cross-sectional design, targeting Libyan community pharmacists in Tripoli between August and November 2024, to assess their knowledge, attitudes, practices, and opinions regarding vitamin supplements. The selected participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, and the collected data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between knowledge, attitude, practice, and opinion. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 200 pharmacists who participated, more than half were female (118, 59%), and over two-thirds (139, 69.5%) held a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences as their highest qualification. Nearly two-thirds (130, 65%) had less than five years of work experience. Based on their self-assessment, 95 (47.5%) of the pharmacists felt moderately confident in their knowledge of vitamin supplements. Notably, the majority of community pharmacists scored above average in all four domains: knowledge (122, 61%), attitude (142, 71%), practice (126, 63%), and opinion (150, 75%). A significant negative correlation was found between knowledge and attitude (p < 0.05). Regarding the dispensing of vitamins without a prescription, 71 (35.5%) of community pharmacists usually dispensed them to 50% of their patients, with adult patients (136, 68%) being the largest age category. Additionally, 78 (39%) of pharmacists relied on laboratory test results before dispensing. Focused educational initiatives aimed at enhancing pharmacists' understanding and improving their dispensing practices are necessary.
Sciences of Pharmacy
